The OregonianCharlie Hales and Jefferson Smith will face each other in the November general election.

Portland mayoral candidate Jefferson Smith on Wednesday announced he will no longer accept checks over $1,000 and that he will limit his spending in the general election to $500,000 -- or whatever opponent Charlie Hales spends.

Smith also pledged to decline corporate contributions, keep the average donation below $200 and rebuff independent expenditures. He said he will keep to a $500,000 overall limit unless Hales spends more. He also will increase his spending to match any pro-Hales independent expenditures, he said.

Smith also said he will post all campaign contributions within three business days of receipt and will propose "meaningful campaign finance reform after this election at the city and state," his announcement said.

Immediately before announcing his limits in June, Hales collected $2,500 and $5,000 checks.

Smith did the same, collecting $10,000 from Plaid Pantry on June 20, for example. As of Wednesday, his online campaign-contribution report only ran through July 1, so it's not yet possible to say how many other big checks Smith accepted before making his announcement.